On to day three of my NFL preview. The next four teams are much better than the previous 8, but these teams have, at best, a slight chance of finishing at or above .500. Some were great a few years ago, others have potential, and some, they just haven't been up to snuff. Anyway, on with the countdown.
Coming in at number 24, I have the Atlanta Falcons. Man, this team is so, so much better on paper than they actually perform on the field. They should be at, or near the top of their division every season, but they, one way or another, always find a way to shoot themselves in the feet. They throw crucial pick sixes, fumble at inopportune times, or can't get that last stop that they need. Let's look at the offense first. They have, since Calvin Johnson may actually be retired, the best receiver in all of football in Julio Jones. Jones catches everything gets open in the smallest of cracks, is faster than almost everyone on the field, and has been very durable. But, after Jones, it gets a little suspect. Sure, Devonta Freeman exploded on the scene last year, becoming one of the best fantasy pick ups ever, but he faded at the end of the year, and I wonder if he was a one season wonder. I hope he's good, because I really like his game, but time will tell. Outside of Julio Jones, they don't have much at receiver. Roddy White is gone, and to take is place are guys like Muhammed Sanu and Devin Fuller. Those guys aren't, and probably don't have the potential to be, household names. Then, there is the conundrum that is Matt Ryan. He should be a great QB, but he seems more average to mediocre. Sure, he has some big passing numbers, but that is because of Julio Jones, not Matt Ryan. And this whole "Matty Ice" nonsense needs to stop. Yeah, he may have kept his cool under pressure in college, but he is an interception machine in the pros. He tries to fit passes into windows that no QB can. This may be the last we see of the Matt Ryan experience in Atlanta, and that maybe for the best. He just hasn't figured it out yet, and I don't think he will. On defense, they have big name guys, but no results. They can throw a Vic Beasley or a Courtney Upshaw or Adrian Clayborn out there, but these guys are stopping anyone. The Falcons give up a ton of points. They just don't have the necessary guys to truly stop anyone. Unfortunately Falcons fans, I think this team is a 6 win team again, blowing a lot of games late.
At number 23, I have the Miami Dolphins. Now, first things first, they could make me look like an idiot by making noise and leading that division after the first four games due to Tom Brady's suspension, but will they? I don't know. That is what is so frustrating about the Dolphins. I legitimately want to like them, but they are so hard to get behind. They have really good to great players on both sides of the ball, but they have nothing to show for it. This is the make or break year for Ryan Tannehill. I know they paid him a bundle, but if he doesn't perform this season, they may look to move on. Tannehill can't beat the good teams, and he plays down to lesser opponents. It's maddening watching someone who could be great play so poorly. Then, they have excellent receivers like Jarvis Landry and Davante Parker, but they are both under sized, and they have Tannehill throwing them the ball. That does not make for a great combination. I feel really bad for Jarvis Landry because he is very, very good. They went out and signed Arian Foster, who is great, but he simply cannot stay healthy. The offensive line made the best pick in the draft, grabbing Laremy Tunsil, but he is a rookie and it is always tough sledding for rookies. Then, on defense, they have guys like Ndamakong Suh, Cameron Wake, Kiko Alonso, Dion Jordan and they signed Mario Williams. Williams and Suh are household names, but they were both very subpar last year. Cameron Wake was hurt all year, so we will see how he comes back. Alonso and Jordan are young and fast, but very unproven. They have the names, but no results. Like I said, I could be way off, but I just don't see them taking the four game advantage because of their QB and running back situations. My gut tells me they finish 7-9 this year.
At number 22, I have the LA Rams, the team ripped away from Saint Louis so that douchebag Stan Kroenke could bet another million or so bucks. I was very high on this Rams team last year. I thought they had the potential to sneak into the playoffs. But, they under performed once again. They could not get anything going on offense, no matter how great Todd Gurley was. I love Gurley. I think he has the potential to be a big, big star. But, the rest of the offense, not so great. They will be starting number one overall pick Jared Goff at QB this year. You all know how I feel about rookies in the NFL, and I think Goff is going to be a major bust. He was another guy, a la Jay Cutler, that didn't really win in college, but for some reason, NFL scouts love him. sure he's tall, but his arm isn't great, and it will take him awhile to learn and deal with the speed in the NFL. His receivers are all downright crummy. I thought Tavon Austin would be good, I was wrong. Wes Welker is there, but he is old and has been concussed far too much. Other than those 2, it's all rookies or guys looking to make a team. Their offensive line is so so. Their defense should be all world, but they haven't quite put it together yet. Aaron Donald is a stud though. That guy is great. They have some good defensive backs, guys like Trumaine Johnson and EJ Gaines, but they haven't put it all together yet. They have good linebackers too, but they just haven't shown up fully yet. The defense can still be great, as I said, I love Donald and Quinton Coples and Mark Barron, but they just aren't elite yet. The defense will keep them in some games, maybe even win a few for them, but that offense, when opponents stack the box with 8, 9 and sometimes 10 guys, will sputter out and be ineffective. They could go .500, but I see 6-10 or 7-9 as more likely.
My final team of the day, coming in at number 21, I have the New Orleans Saints. This team was once, not that long ago, a perennial Super Bowl contender. but, Drew Brees has only gotten older, more hurt and not as efficient as he once was. Brees is a sure fire hall of famer, and probably top 15 QB of all time, but his best days are behind him. Then, to make matters worse, they let Jimmy Graham go last year and now they released Marques Colston. Those two were his safety blankets. He could rely on them more than anyone else, and they almost always came through for the team. Now, Brees is throwing to guys like Brandin cooks and Michael Thomas. sure, they are good, but they are not Jimmy Graham or Marques Colston. Their running game is average. Mark Ingram is another in a long line of Alabama backs that don't produce much of anything in the pros. Then his backup, CJ Spiller, he was cut from the Bills last year, so that should tell you all you need to know. The offensive line is fine, but not great. The Saints defense is an absolute dumpster fire. This team gave up over 50 points at least twice last season. They cannot stop anyone, Eli Manning included. They have no one that is, or ever has been, competent on defense. That's the biggest issue, they have to try and outscore teams, and that is not a recipe for winning in the NFL. The Saints have become a bummer team to watch. They are getting older at skill positions, mainly QB, and their defense is utterly atrocious. They will be lucky to be 6-10 next year.
That's it for today, come back tomorrow for the next four teams.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He still wears his vintage Tony Banks St. Louis Rams jersey to remember the bad days. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.
